Represents non-voting interest of non-controlling parties.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number Of States In Which Wireline Broadband Services Offered

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dish_NumberOfStatesInWhichWirelineBroadbandServicesOffered
Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of states region in which wireline voice and broadband services are offered.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dish_NumberOfStatesInWhichWirelineVoiceAndBroadbandServicesAreOffered
Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

Represents the number of subscribers for broadband services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dish_NumberOfSubscribersForBroadbandServices
Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of subscribers of DISH branded pay TV services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dish_NumberOfSubscribersForPayTVServices
Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represent the amount of payment for remaining balance of the winning bid price.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of wireless spectrum licenses acquired by the winning bidder.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Portion of equity (net assets) in a variable interest entity (VIE) not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the parent entity. That is, this is the portion of equity in a VIE that is attributable to the noncontrolling interest (previously referred to as minority interest).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow to acquire asset without physical form usually arising from contractual or other legal rights, excluding goodwill.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=dish_EchoStarMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=dish_SlingTVHoldingLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dish_WirelessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dish_Auction1000Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=dish_FccWirelessBureauMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=dish_NorthstarWirelessOrNorthstarSpectrumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dish_NorthstarLicensesMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Organization and Business Activities (Details) $ in Thousands			9 Months Ended	84 Months Ended	114 Months Ended	117 Months Ended
	May 11, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) segment state item	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) item	Feb. 28, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Spectrum Investments
Number of primary operating business units \| segment			2
Number of Pay-TV subscribers \| item			13,203,000			13,203,000
Number of subscribers for broadband services under the dishNET brand \| item			459,000			459,000
Number of states in which wireline broadband services offered \| state			34
Number of state region in which wireline voice and broadband services are offered \| state			14
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets				$ 11,000,000		$ 21,000,000
EchoStar \| Sling TV Holding L.L.C.
Spectrum Investments
Non voting interest							10.00%
Wireless
Spectrum Investments
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets					$ 11,000,000
Auction 1000 [Member] \| FCC Wireless Bureau [Member]
Spectrum Investments
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets		$ 1,500,000
Payment Of Winning Bid Remaining Balance	$ 4,711,000
Northstar Spectrum And SNR Holdco
Spectrum Investments
Total debt and equity investments in subsidiaries			$ 10,000			$ 10,000		$ 10,000,000
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum \| Northstar Licenses
Spectrum Investments
Wireless Spectrum Licenses \| item			261			261